


Unknown Variable

by just_your_biology



Category: Mabel (Podcast), Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: But what else is new?, Doesn't make a ton of sense, F/F, Hera's narrating but there's a lot of Mabel Martin influence, I've been listening to Mabel today so it's in, Infused heteronormativity, It's very all over the place, Less of a story, Script Format, This is p much just me talking through hera, Unrequited Love, in other words I'm a useless lesbian projecting my unrequited love onto my fav ai lesbian, more of a thing happening inside Hera's head, unhealthy relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-22 06:12:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14302566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_your_biology/pseuds/just_your_biology
Summary: Hera considers a dilemma in early season three. She knows what the trap looks like, but that doesn't be stop her from falling into it.





	1. Chapter 1

AI consciousness file, Hephaestus mission, day [CENSORED].

[thoughtstream, found deep inside subject’s conscience. Parentheses are echoes from secondary and tertiary thoughtstreams. Keep in mind, this text is being translated from binary, and AI consciousness are very messy]

HERA: [ _voice is cut off at first, as if mid-paragraph_ ]: I know. I _know_. She’s capable, she's competent. She's exactly what I don't expect. I know I can’t trust her, she’s with Goddard, of course I know that. (Of course).

But still. She- _ugh_. There’s so much I don’t understand. And, yes (sure) some of that is stupid (most of its stupid). Still, despite it all, she treats me like a _person_. She talks to me like she understands me as an equal, like a friend, not just something be taken apart or examined. I know she doesn't trust me, not, not really.

( _It's not fair._ There's so many things I don't have control over-- ‘all-powerful AI’ gag notwithstanding-- and just when I think I've come to terms with whatever-the-hell the Hephaestus is, she shows up. Sent by Command, and she has the audacity to act like she understands me. Maybe she does? I hope she does.)

But, even on that first day, she addressed me instead of Hilbert. (she addressed me, addressed _me_.) Do you know how rare that is? Even Eiffel, even my _best friend_ who I would trust with my life, _he_ still forgets I'm there, sometimes. I love Officer Eiffel, of course (of course), but he has such a simplistic, such a _human_ understanding of the world. I don't fit into that understanding. I'm an unknown variable.

Damn it, I'm losing my train of thought again. Give me a second-

HERA [muffled, barely heard]: Yes, Mr. Jacobi, I heard you. [rushing sound of air] Oxygen levels regulated, you may proceed.

HERA [back to same stream]: There's so many things going on. (I've said it a million times before, there's no room to think with so many things to keep track of.)

I don't like Jacobi very much. There's no real reason for that, but, he bugs me. He doesn't care about anything but himself and the orders he’s given. Of course, there's more to the story than that (obviously Hera, nothing’s that simple). She trusts him, after all. (I don't trust him. I don't trust either of them).

As for Kepler. [scoffs] Kepler. Don't get me started on the _Colonel_. He makes sense, sure, but he's a self-righteous piece of [CENSORED].

[sigh]. Anyways, she's… more than I can handle. It's confusing, it's strange (what isn't strange, Hera?), but I know she's unquantifiable. That's dangerous. I like her, sure, (as a friend, a coworker, _Hera_. And, especially since ‘the assholes’ got here, I really can't be too careful. I have to tread lightly. I know. But still…

Why do I feel like this?  
[cut off before Hera says more, no conclusion is reached]

Subject: Senus Unit 214, Hera  
Translator: [CENSORED]


	2. Ugh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation. In this short chapter, Hera considers the implications of the Hephaestus's crew and experiences some _technical difficulties ___

HERA: oh, Hera. What am I going to do? There's so many layers at play here, Goddard is tricking us--Kepler values his pride above personhood, Minkowski is more unsure of herself than ever, and Captain Lovelace is starting to give up hope. (I can only tell that last one because how distant she's been lately. Lovelace is good at masking her emotions, but [annoyed] so am I.

God _dammit_. I feel so... stuck. Maxwell can just hack into my brain at any time, I don't even know how much of myself I can trust. How tragic is that, when I can't even trust my own thoughts?

[after a moment]  
Ugh, I'm just making myself sad again, aren't I? That happens too much. (Even though she _could_ be listening to this thoughtstream right now).

Any _ways_ , it's not like everything's awful. Eiffel's still alright, even though, of all of us, he has the most reasons not to be. He's constantly making pop culture references, but, what else is new? _I_ wasn't the one left alone in a shuttle for over 150 days.

I don't think I'm ever going to get back to Earth. Not all of me, at least. Someone's going to pull wires out of my brain before that happens, Pryce or Hilbert or [sigh] even Maxwell. Oh, and remember that _tiny_ detail where I'm an AI and effectively immortal? (Even though I currently have approximately _no_ concept of time?) Yeah. That's an issue.

Minkowski _really_ hates doing paperwork for Kepler. I do too, honestly. (Or, hate work for Kepler in general.) Minkowski is in the observation deck right now, scrawling navigational data onto a piece of paper, huffing every so often. Poor Commander. She's been is the observation deck for, oh, 9 hours at this point? Not the worst she's been through, but still.

_any_ ways, my processing power for, you know, my own _thought_ , has been -limited- lately. Nothing serious (of course, of course) but, I won't say I haven't been [cut off by beeping]

HERA (in other room): Yes, yes Cap _tain_. I'll get right on that. [getting frustrated] yes! I know! _See_ , here's the schematics.

HERA: It doesn't look like I have _time_ to finish  
[recording cuts off abruptly]

Subject: Senus Unit 214, Hera  
Translator: [CENSORED]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I guess there's a chapter 2 now. Stay tuned for the potential... chapter 3!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not 100% on what this is, but I love writing from hera's perspective. This is only my second fic on ao3, but I might make this a series


End file.
